Andrea

About Me

Hi, I'm Andrea (Andi to most people). I am originally from Ireland but moved to Maidenhead 2 years ago after spending 8 great years in London working as a Recruiter in TV.

Becoming a mum to 3 wonderful children and an auntie to a gorgeous gaggle of nieces and nephews made me realise my true passion and talent lies in working with children. I am currently going through the registration process with Ofsted to become a Childminder and I am looking forward to welcoming children to 'Danny Bear Childcare', our fun and happy home setting in Furze Platt later this year.

Every morning, my little girl wakes up and asks 'can we have an adventure today?' so I try my best to make each day fun, exciting, memorable and a chance to learn something new for her. I intend to bring this approach into my childcare setting and ensure the children I look after are given lots of opportunities to try new things, see new places and have meaningful experiences that they can come home and tell mum and dad all about at the end of the day.

In the summer, we enjoy almost daily trips to places like the playground, nature walks, trips to the farm and zoo, feeding the ducks, getting our feet wet in the river, ice cream, the scooter park, fruit picking, forest school, cycling, picnics and splash pads. In winter, we enjoy lots of muddy puddle walks, trips to museums, the library, soft play, play cafes, swimming and the trampoline park.

When we're not off exploring, children will enjoy our lovely home with a playroom full of toys, puzzles, dress-up clothes, a shop, a kitchen area and an indoor swing. We have a good-size garden with a 12 ft trampoline, more swings, a slide, a climbing frame, a sand table and water play. We have a bouncy castle for the summer months. We love messy play, painting, cooking, crafting and colouring using a variety of materials and techniques.

My 6 year old son is in school and my 4 year old starts Reception in September. I'll still have my youngest girl at home during the day so I'm hoping to have one or two additional children join us on our daily adventures and share in learning, growing and having lots of fun together. I have my own car and a full, clean. driving licence. I am also available for before and after school care with pick up and drop offs to St Edmund Campion.

My son was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 and is still non-verbal at age 6. I am passionate about early years care for SEN children, having been on that difficult journey with my son not long ago. I additionally have lots of experience with OT, sensory integration, a range of speech therapy techniques, AAC and behavioural therapy that I can share and apply if necessary. Our home is set up with enough equipment to rival an OT gym with therapy balls, weighted blankets, climbing ladders, a spinning chair, a sensory canoe, bean bags, crash mats a hammock and a tent swing. Finally, I've gone through the EHCP process and was fortunate to secure a specialist nursery and school place for my son so I'm happy to share my experience and offer advice if needed.